Collapsible containers

ABSTRACT

Collapsible containers, collapsible container systems, and storage devices are disclosed herein. An aspect of this disclosure is directed to a collapsible container having a flexible base, first and second rigid end walls each attached to a respective opposing end of the base, and first and second rigid sidewalls each attached to a respective opposing side of the flexible base. The sidewalls are permanently attached to the base and the end walls. The first and second rigid sidewalls are foldable such that the container can selectively transition between an expanded state, whereat the first and second sidewalls are generally perpendicular with the first and second end walls, and a collapsed state, whereat at least portions of the first and second sidewalls overlap one another interleaved between the first and second end walls.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates generally to containers and receptacles,and more specifically, to collapsible and expandable containers forpackaging, storing, and/or transporting items.

BACKGROUND

Virtually every product in today's industrialized society that isbought, sold, or used is physically transported at one point in time.Regardless of the type of shipping employed, whether it be by ground,air, or water, most goods are packaged in some sort of protectivecontainer prior to transport. Many containers, such as cardboard boxes,paper and plastic bags, and ornamental product packaging, are disposableand, thus, intended for a single use. Some containers are fabricatedfrom more resilient materials, such as canvas, high-strength plastics,and metals, and are therefore reusable. Some such containers aredesigned to collapse such that the container, when not in use, can bemore easily stored and transported. When a person so wishes, thecontainer can be assembled or expanded, and subsequently filled withgoods for transport, storage, or any other known use.

In general, there are three standard types of collapsible containers.The first type of collapsible container generally consists of detachablewalls that pull apart or otherwise disconnect from a rigid base. Somesuch containers require latches or hinges for manually fastening thewalls to the base. These designs have various drawbacks. For example,the constituent parts, when separated, require individual handling andstorage, which is not ergonomic and can lead to lost or misplaced parts.In addition, expanding and collapsing these containers for use andstorage, respectively, requires additional time and manual labor inorder to assemble and disassemble the various constituent parts.

Another well-known type of collapsible container is thesack-and-skeleton type receptacle (most commonly known as thecollapsible hamper). These designs typically comprise a flexible bagthat is propped up and supported by a twist-and-lock frame or otherrigid skeletal armature. To use these containers, numerous elongatedsupport arms are interconnected to form the skeletal support structure,at which time the hamper bag is placed in or around the assembledskeleton. Sack-and-skeleton type receptacles suffer all of the samedrawbacks as the previously described collapsible containers due to theadditional assembly requirements and the separable components.

A third common type of collapsible container is known as a foldable or“knockdown” container. In these designs, the walls and base arepermanently attached to one another; thus, actuation of a latch or hingeis not required. Generally speaking, the walls of a knockdown containercan be folded such that expanding and collapsing these containers merelyrequires folding and unfolding the walls. Current knockdown containerssuffer various shortcomings. For instance, the expanded volume ofcurrent knockdown container configurations is severely limited by themanner in which the containers fold. Conversely, attempts to increasethe storage capacity (i.e., expanded volume) of current knockdowncontainer designs require a coextensive increase in the storagefootprint (i.e., collapsed area) of the knockdown container.

As such, there is a need for collapsible containers that do not requireassembly and disassembly for normal use thereof, and provide sufficientstowage capacity while maintaining a minimal collapsed footprint.

SUMMARY

Collapsible containers are set forth herein having four walls that arepermanently attached to each other and to a flexible base. A unique andsurprising aspect to some of these collapsible containers relates to thelengths of the walls and the size of the base. It is known to make anopen cube-shaped container with square walls and a square base, whereinthe side walls do not overlap one another when the cube container iscollapsed. In contrast, collapsible containers presented herein can havea rectangular shape (allowing for a larger interior volume compared to acube), which means that the side walls overlap each other slightly whencollapsing the container.

The container can also include a flexible base that can be capturedbetween the overlapping, folded side walls. This coordination ofoverlapping the folding side walls and capturing therebetween theflexible folds of the base is not trivial. To collapse the containerinto a compact package, it turns out that the dimensions of the wallsand the base are important. If the length of the walls are too long, thebase will not tuck between the overlapping, folded sidewalls. Moreover,if made too long, the container cannot collapse into a flattenedconfiguration because the flexible base when tucked between theoverlapping sidewalls prevents the folding sidewalls from lying flatagainst one another. The “trick” is to dimension the walls and the basesuch that the sidewalls are permitted to fold and overlap each otherwhile capturing between the overlapping portions some of the flexiblebase. For example, dimensioning the base to accommodate twostandard-sized brown paper grocery bags when completely unfolded iswithin a range of dimensions that will allow the container to collapsecompletely. The height of the container can be dimensioned so that itcorresponds to ⅔ the height or above of a standard-sized brown papergrocery bag.

According to some aspects of the present disclosure, a collapsiblecontainer is presented. The collapsible container includes a flexiblebase, first and second rigid end walls, each of which is attached to arespective opposing end of the flexible base, and first and second rigidsidewalls, each of which is attached to a respective opposing side ofthe flexible base. The sidewalls are permanently attached to the baseand the end walls. The first and second rigid sidewalls are foldablesuch that the container can selectively transition between an expandedstate, whereat the first and second sidewalls are generallyperpendicular with the first and second end walls, and a collapsedstate, whereat at least a portion of the first sidewall overlaps atleast a portion of the second sidewall and the sidewalls are interleavedbetween the end walls.

According to other aspects of the present disclosure, a collapsiblecontainer system is featured. The collapsible container system includesan elongated flexible base, first and second opposing rigid end walls,and first and second opposing rigid sidewalls. The base is composed of atextile material. Each of the end walls includes a rigid quadrilateralpanel attached at a bottom edge thereof to a respective opposing end ofthe flexible base. Each of the sidewalls is permanently attached at abottom edge thereof to a respective opposing side of the flexible base.The first and second sidewalls are each permanently attached at opposingends thereof to the first and second end walls. The end walls have afirst length, whereas the sidewalls, when unfolded, have a second lengththat is larger than the first length of the end walls. A removable,rigid base is configured to be removably inserted into the container.Each of the sidewalls is foldable along a center folding seam such thatthe container can selectively transition between an expanded state and acollapsed state. When in the expanded state, the sidewalls are generallyparallel to each other and generally perpendicular with the end walls tothereby define an expanded volume therebetween. When in the collapsedstate, the sidewalls at least partially overlap and lie against oneanother and interleaved between the end walls to thereby substantiallyeliminate the expanded volume.

According to other aspects of the present disclosure, a storage deviceis presented. The storage device includes an elongated base composed ofa flexible material. The length of the base is greater than the width ofthe base. A pair of end walls are each inseparably attached along alength thereof to a respective longitudinal end of the base. A pair ofsidewalls are each inseparably attached along a length thereof to arespective lateral side of the base. Each of the sidewalls isinseparably attached at respective ends thereof to each of the endwalls. Each of the sidewalls has a fold line along opposing facingsurfaces of the sidewalls and extending along a height of each of thesidewalls.

The above summary is not intended to represent each embodiment or everyaspect of the present disclosure. Rather, the foregoing summary merelyprovides an exemplification of some of the novel features includedherein. The above features and advantages, and other features andadvantages of the present disclosure, will be readily apparent from thefollowing detailed description of the embodiments and best modes forcarrying out the present invention when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective-view illustration of an exemplary collapsiblecontainer in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, showingthe container in a collapsed state or configuration.

FIG. 2 is a plan-view illustration of the exemplary collapsiblecontainer of FIG. 1 shown in a collapsed state with interleafed,partially overlapping sidewalls.

FIG. 3 is a perspective-view illustration of the exemplary collapsiblecontainer of FIG. 1 shown in a partially expanded state.

FIG. 4 is a perspective-view illustration of the exemplary collapsiblecontainer of FIG. 1 shown in a fully expanded state or configurationwith an optional rigid base insert removed from the container.

FIG. 5 is a perspective-view illustration of the exemplary collapsiblecontainer of FIG. 1 shown in a fully expanded state with the optionalrigid base inserted into the container.

FIG. 6 is a perspective-view illustration of the exemplary collapsiblecontainer of FIG. 1 shown upside down in a partially expanded state withthe flexible rigid base captured between the end walls and sidewalls.

While the present disclosure is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way ofexample in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. Itshould be understood, however, that the disclosure is not intended to belimited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the disclosure is tocover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to likecomponents throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplarycollapsible container, designated generally as 10, in accordance withaspects of the present disclosure. The collapsible container 10 (whichmay also be referred to herein as “collapsible container system” or“storage device”) is intended for storing, supporting, and/ortransporting personal effects, such as, but not limited to, groceries,laundry, shopping goods, convenience goods, etc. However, it should berecognized that the collapsible container 10 may utilized for otherpurposes without departing from the scope and spirit of the presentdisclosure. In addition, the drawings presented herein are not to scaleand are provided purely for explanatory purposes. Thus, the specific andrelative dimensions shown in the drawings are not to be consideredlimiting unless explicitly stated otherwise in the claims.

With collective reference to the Figures of the drawings, the container10 generally includes a main body, designated as 22 in FIG. 1, with afirst rigid sidewall 12 that opposes a second rigid sidewall 14, and afirst rigid end wall 16 that opposes a second rigid end wall 18. Byreferring to the sidewalls 12, 14 as rigid, it is meant that they arecapable of standing upright on their own against the force of gravity.In this example, the sidewalls 12, 14 are foldable along a fold line orbias, forming two panels described more fully below, and each of thepanels is composed of a rigid material, such as cardboard or plastic,and surrounded by a textile, such as canvas or fabric. The sidewalls 12,14 and end walls 16, 18 all extend upwardly from an elongated, flexiblebase 20, which is most easily seen in FIGS. 4 and 6. The sidewalls 12,14, end walls 16, 18, and base 20 are all permanently attached to oneanother. In the illustrated embodiment, the main body 22 is a textilecasing, fabricated, for example, from a cotton-based cloth. The mainbody 22 acts as an outer skin, which encases and interconnects aplurality of rigid quadrilateral panels. Specifically, each of the endwalls 16, 18 includes a rigid rectangular-shaped panel (shown hidden inFIGS. 5 at 13 and 15, respectively) that is encased within the main body22. The end-wall panels 13, 15 are each inseparably attached along abottom edge thereof to a respective opposing end of the base 20, as seenin FIG. 5.

As used herein, “permanently attached” or “inseparably attached” ismeant to infer that the joined items are neither intended nor designedto be separated or separable under normal and ordinary use. Naturally,it is possible to separate any two items by pulling them apart with asufficient amount of force, but these terms mean that the items arejoined in such a manner as to not be separable within the normal andordinary usage of the container 10. For example, items can bepermanently or inseparably attached by stitching or glue, even though itis still possible to separate them by cutting them or ripping themapart. By contrast, items joined by hook and loop fasteners, zippers,snaps, and the like would not be permanently or inseparably attached ascontemplated by the present disclosure.

Similar to the end walls 16, 18 of the collapsible container 10, each ofthe sidewalls 12, 14 includes rigid rectangular-shaped panels (shownhidden in FIGS. 5 at 17 and 19, respectively) that are encased withinthe main body 22. The sidewall panels 17, 19 are each inseparablyattached along a bottom edge thereof to a respective opposing lateralside of the base 20, as seen in FIG. 5. Likewise, each of the sidewalls12, 14 is inseparably attached along respective opposing ends thereof toeach of the end walls 16, 18, as best seen in FIG. 5. By permanentlyattaching the sidewalls 12, 14 to the end walls 16, 18 and the base 20,the collapsible container 10 eliminates the need forassembling/disassembling the constituent parts of the container 10 whenin use. In so doing, the collapsible container 10 reduces time andmanual labor when expanding and collapsing the container 10.Additionally, the foregoing arrangement eliminates the need for handlingand storing separate parts, which in turn eliminates the possibility oflosing any of the primary components of the container 10. Finally, thecollapsible container 10 can be characterized by the absence of aseparate rigid skeletal structure (e.g., a twist-and-lock frame) thatmust be assembled to maintain the collapsible container 10 in anexpanded state.

The collapsible container 10 can be fabricated from any of a largevariety of materials. By way of example, and not limitation, thesidewall and end wall panels 13, 15, 17, 19 can be fabricated from orcomposed of a heavy-duty paper, such as cardboard, wood-based materials,such as fiberboard, polymeric materials, such as polyethyleneterephthalate (PET), or metallic materials, such as aluminum. Inaddition, the main body 22 can be fabricated from a variety of differenttextile materials, such as animal-based textiles (e.g., leather andsilk), plant-based textiles (e.g., cotton, flax, and canvas), andsynthetic textiles (e.g., nylon and polyester), for example. Likewise,the flexible base 20 can be fabricated from the same textile material asthe main body 22 or, in alternate embodiments, a different material. Itis also envisioned that the collapsible container be fabricated as amonolithic, single-piece structure. In another alternative arrangement,the sidewalls, end walls and base of the collapsible container 10 can bechemically adhered, mechanically fastened, or otherwise directlyattached to one another, thus eliminating the need for an outer skin.

In some embodiments, forming the container 10 includes cutting one ormore pieces of flexible material, such as fabric. Rigid panelscorresponding to the sidewall and end wall panels are arranged on theflexible material. The sidewalls and end walls are permanently attachedtogether, such as by sewing stitches through the flexible material whereadjacent panels meet. The flexible base is permanently attached to thesidewalls and end walls as described above, such as by stitching theflexible material where the base joins the sidewalls and end walls.

With reference to FIG. 5, the sidewalls 12, 14 are, in the illustratedembodiment, geometrically identical. In comparison, the end walls 16, 18are, in the illustrated embodiment, geometrically identical to oneanother, but geometrically distinct from the sidewalls 12, 14. Forexample, the first and second end walls 16, 18 are generallyrectangular, with a common length (“first length”) L1 and a commonheight H1. Alternately, the end walls 16, 18 can be square such thatL1=H1. The first and second sidewalls 12, 14 of FIG. 5 are alsogenerally rectangular and share the same common height H1 as the endwalls 16, 18. However, when fully unfolded, the sidewalls 12, 14 have acommon length (“second length”) L2 that is larger than the length L1 ofthe end walls 16, 18. In some embodiments, the ratio of the first lengthL1 to the second length L2 is between approximately 1:1 and 1:1.35. Insome embodiments, the second length L2 is approximately 1.2-1.4 timeslarger than the first length L1. In some embodiments, the second lengthL2 is approximately 1.31 times larger than the first length L1. In someembodiments, the comparative lengths of the sidewalls 12, 14 to the endwalls 16, 18 (L2:L1) are dimensioned to ensure that the container 10 canbe fully collapsed, as described in further detail below, withoutcompromising the storage capacity (i.e., expanded volume) of thecontainer 10. In some embodiments, the second length L2 is approximately43.18 cm (17.00 inches), and the first length L1 is approximately 32.36cm (12.75 inches). In some embodiments, the common height H1 of thecontainer walls is approximately 27.94 cm (11.00 inches). Recognizably,the individual and relative dimensions can be varied from that shown inthe drawings.

As seen in FIG. 5, the length L1 of the end walls 16, 18 is also thewidth W of the elongated base 20, whereas the length L2 of the unfoldedsidewalls 12, 14 is also the length L3 of the elongated base 20. Assuch, the ratio of the width W to the length L3 of the base 20 can becommensurate with any of the various optional alternative embodimentsdescribed above with respect to the comparative lengths of the sidewalls12, 14 and the end walls 16, 18 (L2:L1). In addition, the collapsedfootprint of the container 10 (e.g., the geometric area of a surfaceoccupied by the container 10), when fully collapsed, is substantiallythe same size as the area of one or both of the end walls 16, 18, asseen in FIG. 1. In contrast, the expanded footprint of the collapsiblecontainer 10, when fully expanded, is substantially the same size as thearea of the base 20, as seen in FIG. 5.

The collapsible container 10 is convertible between an expanded state(also referred to herein as “expanded configuration”) and a collapsedstate (also referred to herein as “collapsed configuration”). In theillustrated embodiment, for example, the first foldable sidewall 12comprises first and second rigid panels 12A and 12B, respectively, thatare attached together at a centrally located folding seam or bias 24, asseen in FIG. 5 Likewise, the second foldable sidewall 14 comprises firstand second rigid panels 14A and 14B, respectively, that are attachedtogether at a centrally located folding seam or bias 26. The centrallylocated folding seams 24, 26 (also referred to herein as “fold lines” ora “folding bias”) are located on opposing, inwardly facing surfaces ofthe sidewalls 12, 14, extending along the height H1 of each of thesidewalls 12, 14. Each sidewall 12, 14 can be folded (and unfolded)along its respective folding seam 24, 26, such that the collapsiblecontainer 10 selectively transitions from a collapsed state, which isexemplified in FIG. 1, through a partially unfolded state, which isexemplified in FIG. 3, to an expanded state, which is exemplified inFIG. 4 (and back).

The collapsible container 10 can be shifted back-and-forth between thecollapsed and expanded states, for example, by transitioning the endwalls 16, 18 generally rectilinearly toward and away from one another,respectively. Urging the end walls 16, 18 toward one another causes eachof the sidewalls 12, 14 to fold inwardly toward one another along theirrespective fold lines 24, 26. When in the expanded state, which is bestseen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the first and second sidewalls 12, 14 aregenerally parallel to each other and generally perpendicular with thefirst and second end walls 16, 18. In this configuration, the sidewalls12, 14, end walls 16, 18 and base 20 define an expanded volume,designated generally as 28 in FIG. 4, therebetween. In some embodiments,the expanded volume is approximately 39,066 cubic centimeters (2384cubic inches) within a 10% tolerance. When in the collapsed state, whichis best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sidewalls 12, 14 at least partiallyoverlap and lie against one another, interleaved between the first andsecond end walls 16, 18. In so doing, the storage space of the container10 is substantially eliminated (e.g., less than 15% of the expandedvolume).

As best seen in FIG. 2, a portion of the inner face of the first rigidpanel 12A of the first sidewall 12 lies generally flat against a portionof the inner face of the second rigid panel 14B of the second sidewall14 when the container 10 is in the collapsed state. Also, when in thecollapsed state, an inner face of the second rigid panel 12B of thefirst sidewall 12 lies generally flat against an inner face of thesecond end wall 18, and an inner face of the first rigid panel 14A ofthe second sidewall 14 lies generally flat against an inner face of thefirst end wall 16. The orientation of the folded sidewalls 12, 14 withrespect to each other and the end walls 16, 18 can be switched withoutchanging structural characteristics of the collapsible container 10.That is, when the container 10 is in the collapsed state, a portion ofthe inner face of the second rigid panel 12B of the first sidewall 12can lay generally flat against a portion of the inner face of the firstrigid panel 14A of the second sidewall 14. Contemporaneously, an innerface of the first rigid panel 12A of the first sidewall 12 can laygenerally flat against an inner face of the first end wall 16, and aninner face of the second rigid panel 14B of the second sidewall 14 canlay generally flat against an inner face of the second end wall 18.

FIGS. 4 and 5 provide two different perspective views of an optional,rigid foldable base insert 30 that is designed to be removably insertedinto the container 10. As seen in FIG. 5, for example, the base insert30 is configured to removably insert into the expanded container 10, andlay across and cover substantially all of the flexible base 20. Whenproperly positioned inside the expanded container 10, the rigid baseinsert 30 of FIG. 5 provides additional structural integrity to theflexible base 20 and helps to maintain the collapsible container 10 inthe expanded state. The rigid base insert 30 can also be designed tofold, as seen in FIG. 4, for greater compactness and, thus, ease ofstorage. In FIG. 4, for example, the rigid base insert 30 has acentrally located fold line 32. In some embodiments, the rigid baseinsert 30 can be folded along the fold line 32 such that the footprintof the insert 30 is smaller than the collapsed footprint of thecontainer 10. According to some embodiments, when the base insert 30 isfolded, it can be slid into the collapsed container 10, interleaved withthe sidewalls 12, 14 in between the end walls 16, 18 when the container10 is in the collapsed state.

Turning now to FIG. 6, a substantial portion of the flexible base 20 is,in some embodiments, configured to be tucked between the end walls 16,18 and the sidewalls 12, 14 when the container 10 is in the collapsedstate. That is, as the collapsible container 10 is converted from theexpanded configuration (e.g., FIG. 4) to the collapsed configuration(e.g., FIG. 1), the base 20 deforms such that at least a portion of thebase 20 is captured in between the folding sidewalls 12, 14. In sodoing, the collapsed footprint of the container 10 is kept to a minimum,not much larger than the size of one of the end walls 16, 18, which isthe constraining dimension.

The first and second end walls 16, 18 can each be provided with anoptional handle 34, 36, respectively. In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 2, for example, the handles 34, 36 are attached to and protrudefrom a respective outer surface of the end walls 16, 18. Alternativearrangements are also envisioned, such as the handles 34, 36 beingcutouts that extend through the end walls 16, 18. In addition, the firstand second side walls 12, 14 can each be provided with a pocket 38, 40that protrudes from a respective outer surface thereof. In someembodiments, each of the rigid panels 12A, 12B, 14A, 14B of the sidewalls 12, 14 includes an individual pocket.

While particular embodiments and applications of the present disclosurehave been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that thepresent disclosure is not limited to the precise construction andcompositions disclosed herein and that various modifications, changes,and variations can be apparent from the foregoing descriptions withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in theappended claims. To that extent, elements and limitations that aredisclosed, for example, in the Abstract, Summary, and DetailedDescription sections, but not explicitly set forth in the claims, shouldnot be incorporated into the claims, singly or collectively, byimplication, inference, or otherwise.

1. A collapsible container comprising: a flexible base; first and secondrigid end walls each attached to a respective opposing end of theflexible base; and first and second rigid sidewalls each attached to arespective opposing side of the flexible base, the first and secondsidewalls being permanently attached to the base and the first andsecond end walls, the first and second rigid sidewalls being foldablesuch that the container can selectively transition between an expandedstate, whereat the first and second sidewalls are generallyperpendicular with the first and second end walls, and a collapsedstate, whereat at least portions of the first and second sidewallsoverlap one another in an interleaved manner between the first andsecond end walls.
 2. The collapsible container of claim 1, wherein thefirst and second end walls have a first length, and wherein the firstand second sidewalls when unfolded have a second length greater than thefirst length.
 3. The collapsible container of claim 2, wherein thesecond length is approximately 1.2-1.4 times larger than the firstlength.
 4. The collapsible container of claim 1, wherein the first andsecond foldable sidewalls each comprises a first rigid panel attached ata folding bias to a second rigid panel.
 5. The collapsible container ofclaim 4, wherein at least a portion of a face of the first or secondrigid panels of the first sidewall lies generally flat against andopposes at least a portion of a face of the first and or second rigidpanels of the second sidewall when the container is in the collapsedstate.
 6. The collapsible container of claim 4, wherein, when thecontainer is in the collapsed state, at least a portion of a face of thefirst or second rigid panels of the first sidewall lies generally flatagainst at least a portion of an inner face of the first end wall, andat least a portion of an inner face of the first or second rigid panelsof the second sidewall lies generally flat against at least a portion ofan inner face of the second end wall.
 7. The collapsible container ofclaim 1, characterized by the absence of a separate rigid skeletalstructure that must be assembled to maintain the collapsible containerin the expanded state.
 8. The collapsible container of claim 1, whereinthe flexible base is configured such that at least part of the flexiblebase is tucked between the end walls and the sidewalls when thecontainer is in the collapsed state.
 9. The collapsible container ofclaim 1, wherein the container transitions between the collapsed andexpanded states by transitioning the end walls generally rectilinearlytoward and away from one another, respectively.
 10. The collapsiblecontainer of claim 1, wherein the first and second end walls have afirst polygonal shape, and the first and second sidewalls have a secondpolygonal shape different from the first polygonal shape.
 11. Thecollapsible container of claim 1, wherein the first and second end wallseach includes a handle on or through a respective outer surface thereof,and wherein the first and second side walls each includes a pocket on arespective outer surface thereof.
 12. The collapsible container of claim1, further comprising a rigid base insert configured to removably insertinto the container and to lie across the flexible base when thecontainer is in the expanded state.
 13. The collapsible container ofclaim 12, wherein the rigid base insert is further configured to foldalong a fold line, and wherein the rigid base insert has a widthsubstantially equal to a length of the first end wall and a lengthsubstantially equal to a length of the first sidewall.
 14. Thecollapsible container of claim 11, wherein the first and second endwalls each includes a handle through the respective outer surfaces ofthe first and second end walls, and wherein the handle is a cutout. 15.A collapsible container system comprising: an elongated flexible basecomposed of a textile material; first and second opposing rigid endwalls each including a rigid quadrilateral panel attached at a bottomedge thereof to a respective opposing end of the flexible base; andfirst and second opposing foldable sidewalls each permanently attachedat a bottom edge thereof to a respective opposing side of the flexiblebase, the first and second sidewalls each being permanently attached atopposing ends thereof to the first and second end walls, the first andsecond end walls having a first length and the first and second foldablesidewalls, when fully unfolded, having a second length larger than thefirst length; and a removable, rigid base insert configured to beinserted into and removed from the container, wherein each of the firstand second rigid sidewalls is foldable along a center folding seam suchthat the container can selectively transition between an expanded state,whereat the first and second sidewalls are generally parallel to eachother and generally perpendicular with the first and second end walls tothereby define an expanded volume therebetween, and a collapsed state,whereat the first and second sidewalls at least partially overlap andlie against one another in an interleaved manner between the first andsecond end walls to thereby substantially eliminate the expanded volume.16. A storage device convertible between an expanded configuration and acollapsed configuration, the storage device comprising: an elongatedbase composed of a flexible material, the base having a length greaterthan a width; a pair of end walls each inseparably attached along alength thereof to a respective longitudinal end of the base; and a pairof sidewalls each inseparably attached along a length thereof to arespective lateral side of the base, each of the sidewalls beinginseparably attached at respective ends thereof to each of the endwalls, each of the sidewalls having a fold line along opposing facingsurfaces of the sidewalls and extending along a height of each of thesidewalls.
 17. The device of claim 18, wherein a collapsed footprint ofthe storage device when in the collapsed configuration is substantiallythe same size as an area of at least one of the end walls, and whereinan expanded footprint of the storage device when in the expandedconfiguration is substantially the same size as an area of the base. 18.The device of claim 20, further comprising a rigid base insert having afold line such that the rigid base insert, when folded along the foldline, has an insert footprint smaller than the collapsed footprint ofthe storage device.
 19. The device of claim 18, wherein the storagedevice is converted from the expanded configuration to the collapsedconfiguration by urging each of the end walls toward one another therebycausing each of the sidewalls to fold along their respective fold linestoward one another.
 20. The device of claim 18, wherein, as the storagedevice is converted from the expanded configuration to the collapsedconfiguration, the base deforms such that at least a portion of the baseis captured in between the folding sidewalls.